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EU'S ASSOCIATION AGREEMENTS WITH AZERBAIJAN AND ARMENIA SHOULD MAKE THE REGION SAFER
ENPI Europe
http://enpi-info.eu/maineast.php?id=28674&id_type=1&lang_id=450
April 19 2012
The association agreements the EU is negotiating with Armenia and
Azerbaijan should make the region safer, both by promoting a peaceful
settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and by making EU support
conditional upon democratic reforms and respect for human rights in
both countries, said two European Parliament resolutions adopted on
18 April.
The resolutions, with recommendations to the Council and the Commission
on what lines to take when negotiating association agreements with
Armenia and Azerbaijan, were approved by the majority of MEPs (the
EU-Azerbaijan resolution with 520 votes in favour, 32 against and 24
abstentions; the EU-Armenia one with 508 in favour, 29 against and
27 abstentions).
MEPs praised Armenia's reform ambitions and energy cooperation
with Azerbaijan, but warned against human rights breaches, namely
in connection to the 2012 Eurovision song contest in Baku (eviction
and resettlement of the local population to make way for construction
work for the song contest). They also stressed the need to ensure that
the forthcoming parliamentary elections in Armenia are free and fair.
The European Parliament called on both countries to step up efforts to
resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The resolutions condemned the
region's militarisation, called on EU Member States to stop supplying
weapons and munitions to both countries and urged the leaders of
Armenia and Azerbaijan "to tone down the language of their statements
to pave the way for a genuine dialogue."
The EU should strive to contribute to stability in the region, MEPs
stressed, for example by focusing on youth exchange and academic
mobility to promote confidence building during the negotiations on
visa facilitation and readmission agreements.
The Azerbaijan resolution's rapporteur Anneli Jäätteenmäki stressed
that energy cooperation, although important, could not develop if
peoples' rights were not taken into account. "We have to admit great
shortcomings in this regard in Azerbaijan. People are being arrested
and homes searched. However, this does not mean that the Eurovision
Song Contest should be boycotted. If we want a deeper cooperation
with Azerbaijan, why then boycott Eurovision song contest?" she said.
Armenia's parliamentary elections of 6 May will be a test of its
determination to have good relations with the EU, said rapporteur
Tomasz Piotr PorÄ~Yba, adding that free and fair elections would
demonstrate that Armenia sticks to its commitments in a serious way.
The resolution noted that in Armenia's previous elections, people were
killed in police attempts to prevent an opposition demonstration and
urged Armenia to complete a "transparent and impartial investigation
of the events of 1 March 2008".(ENPI Info Centre)
ENPI Europe
http://enpi-info.eu/maineast.php?id=28674&id_type=1&lang_id=450
April 19 2012
The association agreements the EU is negotiating with Armenia and
Azerbaijan should make the region safer, both by promoting a peaceful
settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and by making EU support
conditional upon democratic reforms and respect for human rights in
both countries, said two European Parliament resolutions adopted on
18 April.
The resolutions, with recommendations to the Council and the Commission
on what lines to take when negotiating association agreements with
Armenia and Azerbaijan, were approved by the majority of MEPs (the
EU-Azerbaijan resolution with 520 votes in favour, 32 against and 24
abstentions; the EU-Armenia one with 508 in favour, 29 against and
27 abstentions).
MEPs praised Armenia's reform ambitions and energy cooperation
with Azerbaijan, but warned against human rights breaches, namely
in connection to the 2012 Eurovision song contest in Baku (eviction
and resettlement of the local population to make way for construction
work for the song contest). They also stressed the need to ensure that
the forthcoming parliamentary elections in Armenia are free and fair.
The European Parliament called on both countries to step up efforts to
resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The resolutions condemned the
region's militarisation, called on EU Member States to stop supplying
weapons and munitions to both countries and urged the leaders of
Armenia and Azerbaijan "to tone down the language of their statements
to pave the way for a genuine dialogue."
The EU should strive to contribute to stability in the region, MEPs
stressed, for example by focusing on youth exchange and academic
mobility to promote confidence building during the negotiations on
visa facilitation and readmission agreements.
The Azerbaijan resolution's rapporteur Anneli Jäätteenmäki stressed
that energy cooperation, although important, could not develop if
peoples' rights were not taken into account. "We have to admit great
shortcomings in this regard in Azerbaijan. People are being arrested
and homes searched. However, this does not mean that the Eurovision
Song Contest should be boycotted. If we want a deeper cooperation
with Azerbaijan, why then boycott Eurovision song contest?" she said.
Armenia's parliamentary elections of 6 May will be a test of its
determination to have good relations with the EU, said rapporteur
Tomasz Piotr PorÄ~Yba, adding that free and fair elections would
demonstrate that Armenia sticks to its commitments in a serious way.
The resolution noted that in Armenia's previous elections, people were
killed in police attempts to prevent an opposition demonstration and
urged Armenia to complete a "transparent and impartial investigation
of the events of 1 March 2008".(ENPI Info Centre)